BANCROFT    LIBRARY 


• 

I 

• 

4 
4- 


THE 

DISCARDS 


BY 


He-mene  Ka-wan:  "Old  Wolf 

(LUCULLUS  VIRGIL  McWHORTER) 


PRICE,  25  CENTS 


ipplement  to   The  Discards 


Copyright 


WE  YALLUP  WA  YA  CIKA 


Chief  of  the  Ahtamim  Clan  of  the  Yakimas,  Deceased  Dec.  17,  1915 

See  the  Chiefs  Memorial  to  the  "higher  officials,"  April  13,  1913, 
in  which  he  prayed  for  simple  justice  relative  to  his  stolen  water 
rights.  The  venerable  Chieftain  passed  over  the  Last  Trail,  still 
hoping  for  the  relief  that  never  came.  See  Lyman's  Hist.  Yakima 
VaJlley,  Vol  1,  pp  916-920.  Continued  Crime  Against  the  Yakimas, 
1913.  Price  lOc. 


THE  DISCARDS 

ByHE-MENE  KA-WAN:"  Old  Wolf ' 

Author  of    = 

"The  Crime  Against  the  Yakimas" 
"Border  Settlers  of  Northwestern  Virginia" 
"Rebellion  (?)  of  the  Yakimas" 
"The  Continued  Crime  Against  the  Yakimas" 


By  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  there  we 
sat  down,  yea,  we  wept  when  we  re 
membered  Zion. 

We  hanged  our  harps  upon  the  wil 
lows  in  the  midst  thereof. 

For  there  they  that  carried  us  away 
captive  required  of  us  a  song;  and 
they  that  wasted  us  required  of  us 
mirth,  saying,  Sing  us  one  of  the 
,ongs  of  Zion.— Psalms  137:1-2-3. 


Foreword 


An  expalnation  is  the  only  excuse  for  this  little  publication.  The  Dis- 
cards  were  primarily  to  appear  in  the  Second  or  Summer  Season  Number  of 
The  American  Indian  Tepee,  a  quarterly  launched  for  the  avowed  purpose 
of  combating  the  manifest  evils  of  the  Indian  Bureau;  the  fraud  and  graft 
EiDOsed  with  impunity  on  the  child-minded  tribesmen  by  the  robber  spec 
tator  land  thief  and  all  round  crooks  who  swarm  the  reservttl0"f'i™ 
well  as  creating  a  deeper  sentiment  of  respect  for  the  Red  race  by  giving 
first  hand  the  Indian  side  of  life;  his  poetry,  music,  philosophy  and  tribal 
history. 

As  an  adopted  Yakima,  the  chief  editorship  was i  tendered  me s  and 1  was 
accepted  with  no  thought  of  compensation  other  than  the  satisfaction  ot 
attempting  to  do  something  for  a  greatly  maimed  and  hampered  people 
The  fet  editorial  in  the  initiative  number  of  the  Tepee,  reveals  the  faith 
that  wfs  placed  in  the  declared  purpose  of  the  management,  which  would 

full  control  as  both  manager  and  editor. 
suit  the  drawing. 

there  are  the  abandoned  allo,tmentY™ffn  the  Indian  Department.  The 
well  as  vo'umnous  correspondence  on  ™e /n,the J,^ing  and  palatable  on 
pie  from  the  Indian  Bureau  bakf,rv,™ai  uield  y^ur  nose  as  you  watch  'em 

And  a"  this  under  a  Government  of  the  people  ($).  by  the  people  (») 
and  for  the  peop'e  ($$$)•  Ka-wan:  "Old  Wolf". 

(L  V.  McWhort*r). 
July  23,  1920 


That  "Same  Old  Howl" 


Many  of  the  Yakimas  are  wondering  how  long  it  takes  the  Indian 
Department  to  make  good  a  promise.  Tribesmen  have  waited  vainly  the 
years  for  a  consumation  of  pledges  made,  while  others,  sore  at  heart  and 
foot  weary  have  passed  over  the  Last  Trail  with  thoughts  imbittered  by 
the  memory  of  wonton  indifference,  if  not  actual  connivence  of  the  De 
partment  officials  in  the  brazen  robberies  which  they  have  suffered.  Ugly, 
sombre  facts  have  been  unearthed  in  the  no  distant  past,  while  others  are 
incubating  for  an  unsavory  hatching. 

Fraudulent  land  deals  and  theft  of  irrigation  waters  are  commor  corr> 
plaints.  The  riparian  right  to  water  established  by  long  usage,  is  a  joke 
when  applied  to  the  Indian.  During  the  vital  irrigation  period  of  May, 
present  year,  the  editor  personally  looked,  into  conditions  of  one  Indian 
ditch  on  the  Ahtanum.  Three  Indian  allottees,  Louis  Mann,  William  Adams 
and  Joe  Yemowat,  dependent  in  part  upon  this  ditch,  had  not  been  able  to 
obtain  a  drop  of  water,  while  white  renters  above  them  had  been  receiving 
a  full  flow  for  a  month.  Mr.  Clyde  Stevens,  a  heavy  renter,  had  "soaked" 
a  forty  acre  field  the  second  time,  while  two  other  renters  were  getting 
water  galore.  In  on  instance  a  secret  way  was  discovered  taking  a  heavy 
flow.  In  marked  contrast  to  the  luxuriant  crops  on  these  lands,  were 
those  of  the  Indians,  parched  and  withered.  While  the  Indian  Department 
has  no  jurisdiction  over  the  distribution  of  the  water  in  this  particular 
ditch  it  does  have  jurisdiction  over  the  leased  lands  and  has  the  power  to 
evict  any  undesirable  tenant.  Why  does  it  allow  a  water-hog  to  fatten  at 
the  expense  of  those  whom  it  holds  in  its  iron  grasp?  If  the  Injun  "hol 
lers"  he  is  branded  as  a  troublesome  complainer  and  peace  disturber.  In 
timidated  and  helpless,  he  suffers  deep  wrongs  in  stolid  silence. 
A  husky,  in  an  altercation  with  one  of  the  looters  in  question,  took 
unreasonable  abuse  rather  than  come  to  blows.  When  asked  why  he  did 
this,  he  replied: 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  him — the  shrimp.  I  could  break  him  into.  It  is  his 
law  that  I  am  afraid  of.  I  know  what  an  Injun  would  get  in  court.  I  have 
a  family  to  live  for.  Our  Agent  is  supposed  to  protect  us  in  our  rights 
He  does  nothing.  He  knows  that  the  white  man  has  no  right  to  the  water 
in  this,  our  Injun  ditch.  He  knows  that  it  is  being  stolen  from  us.  This 
white  water  thief  is  protected.  He  says  that  Mr.  Carr  is  a  fine  man. 
course  he  should  speak  well  of  Mr.  Carr.  Look  at  this  water  thief's  crop, 
this  Mr  Stevens  and  others.  They  are  fine  while  our  crops  are  scorched 
for  water.  When  only  Injuns  were  on  this  ditch  we  had  no  trou 
ble  All  got  water,  dividing  with  each  other.  I  was  driven  from  the  Medi 
cine  Valley  country  because  Mr.  Reece  B.  Brown  stole  all  my  water  eleven 
years  ago.  The  Indian  Department  knew  of  it,  but  the  Department  is  afraid 
of  Mr  Brown  or  stands  in  with  him  in  that  grab.  I  came  over  here  on 
the  Ahtanum  to  farm  and  now  they  steal  my  water  here.  The  Shoyalipoo 
is  a  hog.  He  takes  all  and  squeals  for  more." 

It  takes  no  careful  observer  to  ride  through  the  Ahtanum  Reservation 


THE    DISCARDS 


Page    Six 


lands  and  pick  out  the  Indian  tilled  lands  from  those  of  white  owners  and 
leassors.  The  former  invariably  present  a  withered  appearance,  while 
those  of  the  whites  show  fine  crops,  resuUant  from  sufficient  water. 
There  may  be  exceptions  to  this  rule,  but  the  cases  are  few.  One  fair 
minded  white  man  said,  when  questioned: 

The  Indians  get  the  dirty  end  of  the  water  deal.     The  ditch  tender 
has  lands  leased  down  near  the  lower  end  of  the  canal.     He  has,  so  he  was 


LOTIS   (  HAKU.S   3I.-U\N 

Recognized  Head  of  the  Ahtanum   Clan  of 

Yakimas.     From  "The  Crime  Against 

the  Yakimas."     (Copyrighted) 

heard  to  say,  now  finished  irrigating  his  crops  for  the  present,  and  turned 
his  water  to  the  orchards  owned  by  whites.  It  is  not  right  to  have  an  in 
terested  man  distributing  this  water." 

Mr.  Lew  Perkins  is  Ditch  Tender  for  the  Ahtanum  section  in  contro 
versy.  His  crops  on  Indian  leased  lands  show  that  they  have  suffered 
no  dearth  of  water  this  season.  It  is  hard  to  conceive  that  the  Indian  of 
ficials  are  blind  to  conditions  so  openly  apparent.  In  1916  the  Ahtanum 
situation,  the  gross  injustice  suffered*  by  these  Indians  in  stolen  water 
rights,  was  exposed  in  an  illustrated  article  in  an  eastern  journal  of  30,000 
copies,  under  the  caption:  The  Continued  Crime  Lgainst  The  Yakimas. 
Promises  from  the  powers  that  be  was  the  only  result.  Louis  Man  was 


Page    Seven THE    DISCARDS 

refered  to  by  Mr.  Dorrington,  Indian  Inspector,  as:  "Howling  the  same  old 
howl  that  he  has  put  up  for  ten  years."  Does  it  redown  to  the  credit  of 
the  Indian  Department  that  one  of  its  Wards  should  howl  vainly  for  sim 
ple  justice  even  for  one  year?  Appropose  to  this  question  is  the  following: 
letter.  Mr.  L.  M.  Holt  is  Chief  Engineer,  Indian  Reclamation  Service.  Mr. 
Lee  refered  to  is  Supervisor  of  Ditches  for  the  Yakima  Agency. 

L.  M.  Holt,  Yakima,  Wash.,  July  6th,  1920 

Dear  Mr.  Holt: 

I  have  been  deprived  from  my  irrigation  waters,  my  neighbors  steal  my 
water  and  I  have  been  studying  where  to  make  my  report  to,  as  you  have 
all  grades  of  employees  on  this  irrigation  system.  As  there  is  earth  with 
out  water  no  living  man  can  farm  his  dry  lands  in  the  Spring,  and  the 
white  man  has  no  better  system  in  his  body  or  being  he  is  no  better  than  I 
am  why  I  write  you  so  because  he  dies  just  the  same  as  poor  Injuns  die  so- 
therefore  I  see  why  you  turn  all  the  water  for  his  side  and  leave  us  desti 
tute  helpless.  Do  you  be  satisfied  if  I  go  up  to  the  head  gate  and  burst  up 
the  head  gate  and  get  my  share  of  this  irrigation  waters  for  my  crops.  Is 
the  white  man  looking  for  Avar  path  about  this  irrigation  system?  I  am 
all  time  wondering  where  all  these  white  people  came  from.  They  must 
have  come  where  people  are  starving  and  they  grabbe  everything  they  come 
to.  Where  did  they  come  from  any  way,  from  above  the  couds  or  from  hell? 
This  puzzles  me.  Everything  they  want  to  themselves,  and  they  are  hogging- 
all  the  time.  Their  hunger  for  more  money  is  not  filled;  they  all  time  want 
more,  and  as  I  hear  them  often  say  "Damn  the  Indians"  now,  but  where 
them  white  devils  go  when  they  do  die,  and  who  is  the  man  on  this  earth 
can  tell  me  I  lie.  Oh,  no,  I  have  been  studying  these  subject  for  many 
years,  white  man  ways  of  living  is  no  good  to  me,  I  hate  it  but  I  cannot 
help  it,  as  every  year  I  am  fussing  about  this  irrigation  system.  Now  the 
earth  and  water  is  all  time  here,  but  me,  I  shall  be  gone  where  everybody 
go  time  they  do  die,  and  I  want  to  live  right  while  living,  now  I  am  losing 
5  acres  in  wheat  and  6  acres  in  alfalfa,  now  who  can  protect  my  rights 
about  this  irrigation  system.  You  want  cash  down  every  time  and  from  the 
start  my  irrigation  waters  been  cut  short  all  time.  Now  I  have  six  seven 
rows,  that  is  all  for  my  $60.00  and  how  do  you  expect  any  man  to  be  a 
farmer  that  way.  It  seems  to  me  the  government  is  robbing  me  out  of  my 
money.  I  want  to  find  out  who  is  the  man  betrayed  my  rights  on  this  irri 
gation  system  on  this  Ahtanum  creek.  Since  all  the  Ahtanum  creek  is  a 
reservation  stream  all  the  creek  is  ours  in  first  place,  and  Secretary  Gar- 
field  robbed  us  time  he  gave  our  water  to  the  whites  at  the  Ahtanum  Acade 
my.  White  ladies  sang  a  song  to  him  for  more  Hiyou  Chuck.  Was  this  fine 
scheme  and  now  we  are  robbed  today.  Who  will  help  us  out.  Mr.  Lee  has 
power  tao  rob  us  out  of  our  irrigation  system,  he  is  the  man  told  the  head 
gate  man  to  shut  off.  I  learn  this  from  one  of  my  white  man  friends.  I  re 
member  one  time  of  seeing  Mr.  Lee  at  old  man  Feluskin  house  time  he  told 
the  old  man  °«luskin  he  was  a  man  from  Washington,  D.  C.  to  help  the 
Indians  on  this  reservation  on  the  irrigation  system,  now  this  day  this  very 
same  man  is  no  help  to  us  Injuns.  I  am  not  mad  at  him  when  i  write  you 
this.  Now  this  irrigation  system  is  too  far  beyond  the  law,  dont  you  take 
me  for  a  bunch  of  Coyotes.  Look  out,  do  what  is  right,  T  am  a  person  just 
the  same  as  whites  are;  we  all  live  by  eating  same  food,  and  I  want  to  be 
in  a  right  living  while  living  on  this  earth.  I  was  there  in  your  office 
twice  but  you  was  gone,  I  want  to  see  you  but  I  do  not  know  when.  I  shall 
see  what  can  be  done  toward  protecting  our  irrigation  system  on  this  Ah 
tanum  valley,  and  you  know  this  earth  and  water  was  here  and  thereon  it 
was  the  Injuns,  and  this  will  be  all. 

I  am  your  truly  poor  friend, 

LOUIS  MANN. 

As  a  substance  of  fact  no  white  man  has  a  right  to  any  of  the  water 
from  this  Indian  ditch,  yet  year  after  year  the  thefts  go  on  unpunished. 
Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  Indian  has  learned  to  look  upon  the  Agent  as  a 
conniver  with  the  white  man  to  loot  and  despoil  him  of  his  own?  The 


THE    DISCARDS Page     Eight 

lame  excuse  that  such  things  go  on  unknown  to  the  Indian  officials  is  to 
be  taken  with  a  mountain  of  allowance.  These  Ahtanum  Indians  have  for 
years  clamored  for  justice,  and  have  in  turn  been  branded  by  the  inspectors 
as  "howlers."  Such  treatment  makes  Bolshevik  and  I.  W.  W.  of  white 
people. 


Elasticity  of  Indian  Bureau 

Promises 


1TOTE:    This  article  was  added  to  after  discardure  by  the  TOJK-O. 

There  is  an  unmistakable  national  wide  agitation  looking  to  the  com 
plete  abolition  of  the  Indian  Bureau.  The  insistent  outcry  of  the  Indian 
«against  flagrant  injustice  suffered  at  the  hands  of  this  political  incubus 
'with  its  army  of  7,000  employees,  is  reaching  the  rank  and  file  of  the  peo- 
j>Le  and  already  the  Czars  are  yisioning  the  handwriting  on  the  wall.  But 
;as..yet  the  masses  know  practically  nothing  about  reservation  conditions, 
know-nothing  about  the  inner  workings  of  the  Agencies,  know  nothing 

•  about  the  blundering  incompetency  if  not  down-right  dishonesty  of  many 

•  of  ihe  acting  officials.     Methods  employed  in  letting  grazing  permits  to 
« outside  stockmen,  leasing  of  agricultural  lands  and  the  distribution  of  irri- 
.gation  water,  too  often  appear  shady  and  questionable.     On  the  Yakima 
Reservation,  Wash.;  water  rights  of  long  standing  have  been  ignored,  the 
entire  flow  of  Indian  constructed  canals  seized  upon,  confiscated  by  the  De 
partment  or  openly  stolen  by  unprincipled  scoundrels  who  apparently  have 
a  stated  in  with  the  "higher  ups."    Why  foster  a  Bureau  which  will  toler- 
/ate  and  countenance  such  brazen  and  uncovered  thievery  of  the  only  means 
by  which  an  Indian  can  make  use  of  his  lands?     A  Bureau  under  which 
•apparently  a  rich  and  powerful  "System"  has  sprung  up  and  is  operating. 
A  single  case: 

Near  White  Swan,  nine  Indian  eighty  acre  allotments  were  receiving 
'^water  from  a  ditch  of  their  own  construction,  tapping  Medicine  Valley. 
Irakian  homes  were  established  on  all  these  tracts,  each  irrigating  from  ten 
.to  sixty  acres.  Some  had  planted  small  orchards,  others  were  gardening 
^nd  raising  grain.  About  eleven  years  ago,  one  Reece  B.  Brown  bought  at 
a  low  figure  the  Umtouch  allotment  on  the  west,  the  first  receiving  water 
fronn  the  ditch.  Mr.  Brown,  who  has  been  connected  with  divers  litiga 
tions  connected  with  Reservation  deals,  boldly  appropriated  (?)  all  the 
water  from  the  lower  eight  allotments,  diverting  it  to  his  own  land  which 
was  planted  to  orchard.  The  Agent  knew  of  the  "appropriation."  He  did 
nothing — for  the  Indians.  I  personally  called  the  attention  of  the  Acting 
Engineer  of  the  Indian  Reclamation  Service  to  the  robbery.  An  "investi 
gator"  looked  the  situation  over.  Lboked,  and  nothing  more.  The  Com 
missioner  of  Indian  Affairs  was  appealed  to.  An  investigation  and  promis 
es — nothing  more.  The  aid  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  was  invoked. 
An  "investigation"  and  more  promises — nothing  more.  In  1913  I  was  told 
by  Superintendent  Carr  that  suit  had  been  instituted  in  the  Federal  Court 
for  the  recovery  of  this  water,  and  a  subsequent  letter  from  the  Assistant 
Indian  Commissioner  in  reply  to  an  inquiry,  stated  that  such  suit  was 


Page    Nine  THK    DISCARDS 

"pending."  The  case  has  never  progressed  beyond  this  "pending"  stage.. 
Evidently  the  "pending"  cord  was  most  carefully  selected  for  its  stretch 
ing  and  wearing  qualities.  Is  the  Indian  Bureau  a  party  to  the  crime?  Or 
is  it  only  afraid  of  the  reputed  millionaire  water  "appropriator"?  So  far 
the  "investigations"  have  all  been  conducted  by  the  Indian  Bureau  officials- 
only.  Will  a  higher  tribunal  be  invoked  before  another  Planting  Moon:; 
shall  have  arrived? 

In  1916  a  very  full  account  of  this  most  disgusting  affair  was  given  by 
me  in  an  eastern  journalo  f  30,000  copies,  under  the  caption:  The  Continued 
Crime  Against  The  Yakimas.  This  brought  out  a  feeble  renewal  of  never- 
to-be-kept-promises  from  the  Department.  Water  by  the  Wapato  Canal 
would  cover  these  lands  "next  year"  in  any  event.  Several  "next  years" 
have  passed  and  these  lands  are  still  powder-dry,  while  the  orchards  plant 
ed  on  the  Umtouch  allotment  have  flourished  and  brought  returns,  nour 
ished  by  stolen  water.  The  other  eight  allotments  are  also  producing — - 
fine  second  growth  desert  sage-  The  houses  are  tumbling  to  decay,,  the 
fencing  in  some  instances  disappearing  beneath  the  drifting  sand  dunes — 
fitting  monument  to  the  cowardly,  vacillating  policy  of  an  obsolete  Bureau. 

Of  late  the  Department  has  ignored  all  local  letters  touching  Brown's 
siezure  of  the  Indian  water  and  the  "pending"  suit,  but  goaded  and  corner 
ed  by  a  Boston  philanthropist,  the  Hon.  Cato  Sells  while  not  conceding  a 
crime,  has  agreed  that  the  water  "diminished"  in  that  particular  ditch;  but 
points  pridefully  to  Departmental  activity  in  bringing  water  to  the  lands 
"this  season"  by  the  Wapato  Canal;  or  by  the  storage  system  of  Medicine 
Valley  or  Toppenish  Creek  "next  year."  Nay  more!  another  "investiga 
tion"  by  Supt.  Carr  and  Federal  District  Attorney,  Francis  H.  Garrecht,. 
actually  took  place  in  a  Yakima  hotel  lobby  last  spring,  where  it  was  found 
that:  "Differences  of  opinion  between  white  settlers  and  Indians  regarding- 
iwater  rights  along  Medicine  Creek  have  arisen;"  and  that  "it  is  probable 
that  cases  which  have  already  been  in  court  will  again  have  to  come  up  for 
adjudication."  Later  in  response  to  an  inquiry,  Mr.  Garrecht  intimates 
that  some  time  and  some  where  some  body  may  be  summoned  to  give  testi 
mony  in  a  possible  suit  against  the  Reservation  Water  Hog. 

During  all  these  weary  years,  the  Indians,  who  have  not  died;  have* 
faeen  buoyed  up  by  these  ^orthless  and  hollow  promises  of  "water  next 
year;"  inducing  some  of  them,  especially  Luke  Wappet,  to  repeatedly  plant 
fields  only  to  meet  with  disappointment  and  loss  of  both  seed  and  labor., 
fWappet  had  sixty  acres  under  cultivation  until,  Brown  stole  the  Indian 
ditch  dry.  Last  spring  I  saw  him  toiling  on  a  ditch  hoping  to  bring  water 
from  another  source,  but  met  with  failure.  His  wheat  crop  withered  an& 
blasted  as  on  former  occasions. 

Forty  acres  of  Simon  Goudy's  allotment  lies  just  east  of  the  Wappet 
tract,  and  on  the  extreme  tail  of  the  looted  Medicine  Valley  ditch,  Goudy 
had  this  north  forty  under  cuUivation,  now  returned  to  desert  sage  and>[ 
weeds.  Instead  of  this  land  being  covered  by  the  Wapato  Canal  as  repeat 
edly  promised,  the  waterway  has  been  constructed  along  the1  east  line  of* 
his  ranch,  which  irrigates  from  the  west.  Goudy  cannot  irrigate  the  frac 
tion  of  an  acre  from  this  "bring-water-to-you-next-year"  canal.  Not  only 
this,  but  the  canal  embankment  completely  closes  all  avenue  of  escape  for 
waste  water  from  his  south  forty  acres,  heretofore  utilized  by  his  neigh 
bor,  Simon  Georgre,  Indian,  whose  land  adjoins  him  on  the  east.  Simort 
George  received  his  water  through  Goudy's  lateral,  which  was  severed  by 
the  canal.  The  flimsy,  half-sized  flume  constructed  over  the  canal  by  the 


THE    DISCARDS 


Page    Ten 


Indian  Service  for  the  purpose  of  a  waterway,  broke  down  within  a  few 
hours  after  water  had  been  turned  into  it.  Mr.  George  was  compeled  to 
rebuild  the  flume,  enlarging  it  to  capacity  at  his  own  expense.  His  loss  in 
damaged  crops  because  of  this  delay  was  not  inconsiderable. 


SIMON  <;i:om;i:  ui'iu  ILIUM;  >VORTHU:SS  FLVJU:  i»i..\n:n 

BY   INDIAN   SI'HVK  i:   .U'KOSS   WAl'ATO  CANAI. 

Shmvinu   tlic     Kmliankmonts    <>:    tl>"    c';m;il     Which    Conii- 
!'   Simon    (ioiuly's    W;i>t»     \\" 


Mintely  four  acres  of  Goudy's  'and  was  taken  by  the  canal 
Tight  of  way,  soi!  being  appropriated  even  beyond  the  fenced  limits,  leav 
ing  tiu'  red  as  to  swamp  and  become  worthless.  For  this 
right  of  way,  ('o-j.dy  received  not  one  dollar  for  either  ground  or  damages 
•sustained. 

Running  midway  from  west  to  east  through  Goudy's  allotment  is  the 
•dry  bed  of  a  small  creek,  which  carries  water  contingent  only  on  the  heav 
iest  The  Wapato  Canal  completely  blocks  this  water 
way,  but  a  -zap  has  been  left  in  the  west,  or  near  embankment  for  the  pur 
pose  any  possible  flow  of  the  creek  to  enter  the  canal.  This 
of  c<  s  the  canal  to  empty  into  the  dry  bed,  filling  it  to  within 
a  few  hundred  feet  of  Goudy's  west  line.  This  former  dry  depression, 
which  Gouch  i  kept  free  from  waste  water,  is  thus  converted  into  a 
veritahV  Lagoon,  unfordable  and  which  in  time  will  develop  into  a  mos- 
<juito-b reeding,  willow-grown  swamp. 

Mr.  Goudy  irrigates  his  south  forty  acres  from  the  Paiute  Ditch,  which 
was  constructed  by  Indians  under  the  supervision  of  James  H.  Wilbur, 
Agent,  for  the  Paiute  prisoners  of  war  brought  to  the  Yak  i  ma  Reservation 
at  the  c'ose  of  the  Bannock  uprising  in  1878.  The  Paiutes  running  away, 
the  ditch  was  turned  over  to  the  Yakimas  by  Agent  Wilbur,  and  has  been 


Page    Eleven 


THE    DISCARDS 


used  by  them  unmolested  during  the  intervening  forty  one  years.  Mr. 
Goudy  built  his  own  lateral  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. .  This 
year,  during  the  vital  irrigating  season  of  May,  three  several  "ditch  ten 
ders"  called  upon  him,  ordering  him  not  to  use  such  a  volume  of  water,  alj 
htough  water  was  running  waste  down  the  main  creek  bed.  The  Indian  re 
fused  to  obey  the  injunction.  It  appeared  to  him  that  it  was  not  enough 
that  he  had  been  despoiled  of  water  for  half  of  his  ranch  by  a  seemingly 


SIMON  GOUDY,  Allottee 

Robbed  of  His  Medicine  Valley  Ditch  Elev 
en  Years  Ago,  40  Acres  of  His.  Ranch, 
Where  Once  He  Harvested  892  Sacks  of 
Pine  Wheat,  Is  Now,  Thanks  to  Indian 
Bureau  Efficiency,  a  Desert  Waste  of  Drift 
ing  Sands  and  Useless  Sage. 

upheld  thief,  but  the  Government  was  now  bent  on  ruining,  or  confiscat 
ing  his  remaining  water  supply.  The  danger  point  had  been  reached  and 
the  "ditch  tenders"  were  afterwards  conspicuous  by  their  absence  on  the 
Goudy  lateral.  Perhaps  the  "tenders"  had  a  vision  of  an  outraged  Indian 
with  a  Winchester  near  that  same  spot  on  a  former  occasion,  when  the  fore 
man  of  the  railroad  construction  gang  suddenly  reaHzed  that  his  health 
was  in  jeopardy  should  he  insist  too  strenuously  on  entering  Goudy's  field 
before  settlement  of  right  of  way  damages. 

As  stated,  Mr.  Goudy  has  no  outlet  for  his  waste  drainage,  and  about 
four  acres  of  growing  wheat  and  alfalfa  became  flooded  in  consequence. 


THE    DISCARDS .      Page     Twelve 

This  he  saved  by  cutting  the  canal  bank,  the  overflow  escaping  through 
the  vent.  Earlier  in  the  season  and  before  irrigation,  I  had,  at  the  instance 
of  Mr.  Goudy,  called  the  attention  of  the  Indian  Service  Engineer,  Mr.  L. 
M.  Holt,  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Goudy  had  not  been  provided  with  an  outlet 
for  his  waste  flow;  and  the  reply  was:  "We  do  not  expect  him  to  have  any 
waste  water."  It  was  not  known  at  that  time  that  an  attempt  would  be 
made  to  curtail  his  Paiute  source  of  water. 

Thus  we  see  how  Simon  Goudy,  allottee,  has  been  damaged  thousands 
of  dollars,  as  land  values  are  computed  in  that  section,  how  he  has  suf 
fered  not  only  at  the  hands  of  an  unrestrained  water-thief,  but  also  from 
the  very  Bureau  officials  sworn  to  protect  him  in  his  vested  rights  as  a 
Ward  of  the  Government.  He  recalls  bitterly  how  he  was  refused  patent 
for  his  south  forty  acres  when  the  White  Swan  branch  of  the  N.  P.  Railroad 
was  under  construction,  when  he  thought  by  realizing  on  it  as  a  town  site. 
Soon  after  he  was  waited  on  by  a  committee  of  "business  men"  who  as 
sured  him  that  they  could  easily  obtain  the  coveted  patent  for  him,  pro- 
\  i<l«'d  he  first  contract  the  land  to  them.  Ndw,  that  there  is  no  longer  an 
opportunity  to  realize  on  it  as  a  town  site,  he  is  importuned  by  the  Bureau 
to  accept  a  patent  and  become  a  full  fledged  citizen  of — his  own  native 
land. 

Can  the  most  prejudiced  of  "Indian  haters"  find  excuse  for  the  treat 
ment  accorded  Simon  Goudy  by  the  Indian  Department?  And  yet  there 
are  other  potential  facts  which  would  lend  color  to  Goudy's  contention 
that  he  has  incured  the  divine  displeasure  of  the  Bureau  officials  and  has 
been  singled  out  as  an  object  of  dirt  and  spite.  As  incredulous  as  this 
may  seem  there  are  grounds  for  the  conjecture.  Petty  annoyances  and  dis 
criminations  suffered  by  Goudy  are  many  and  manifold.  The  Agency 
thrasher  has  more  than  once  refused  to  thrash  his  crop  until  all  others 
were  attended  to.  Last  year  it  passed  and  repassed  his  stack  yard,  com- 
peling  him  at  additional  cost  of  time  and  money  to  procure  another  machine 
lest  his  grain  damage  by  possible  rain  as  on  a  former  occasion. 

But  Mr.  Goudy  is  not  the  only  allottee  to  suffer  by\  this  "past-all-un 
derstanding"  methods  of  the  Indian  Service.  There  are  other  Yakimas 
on  the  Paiute  Ditch.  Louis  Mann  has  two  inherited  eighties  below  the 
Goudy  lateral  and  this  year  has  experienced  unlocked  for  trouble.  The 
Wapato  Canal  carries  water  to  the  Paiute,  and  a  charge  has  been  levied 
against  the  water  users.  The  Agency  claims  that  not  more  than  one  fifth 
of  the  water  used  is  now  supplied  by  the  Paiute  source,  but  a  fairer  esti 
mate  wouhl  place  it  at  one  |half.  The  Indians  contend  that  they  have 
always  had  sufficient  water  from  the  Paiute  alone,  that  the  Indian  Ser 
vice  has  seized  upon  their  forty-one  year-old  ditch  without  their  know 
ledge  or  consent,  and  are  now  charging  them  for  water  which  they  can  not 
get  in  sufficient  quantity  for  their  crops.  Personal  observation  discloses 
the  astounding  fact  that  the  head  gate  of  the  Mann  laterafl  is  under  lock 
and  key,  that  the  intake  is  at  a  very  low  pressure,  affording  a  water 
supply  inadequate  for  the  crops  planted,  and  not  on  par  with  the  money 
demanded  of  him  by  the  Departmental  authorities;  while  lower  down  on 
the  Paiute  the  lateral  head  gate  in  use  by  whites  is  without  lock  and  is 
under  an  exceedingly  high  pressure,  insuring  to  the  users  thereof  the  full 
and  unlimited  control  of  their  own  water  supply.  Can  any  fair  minded 
^n  blamo  an  Indian  for  putting  up  "the  same  old  howl  that  he  has 
i"wled  for  the  last  ten  years?"  Appropose  to  the  foregoing  facts  are  the 


Page     Thirteen THE    DISCARDS 

following  communications  which  are  self-explanatory.  TheNeekass  Canal 
is  the  Paiute  Ditch.  The  name  used  is  that  pertaining  to  the  surrounding 
country:  "where  horses  were  left." 

L\DIjk\  WATER  USERS  OF  THE  PIUTE  DITCH  IN   COUNCIL 

WHITE  SWAN,  WASH.,  May  28,  1920. 
Mr.  DON  M.  CARR> 

At  this  meeting  today,  We  Protest  and  Oppose  to  Reclamation  Service 
to  enter  their  water  into  Our  Neekass  Ditch.  Let  Reclamation  keep  out 
from  our  Neekass  Canal.  Oiur  Flood  Water  We  have  been  useing  this  water 
from  the  Slimcoe  Creek  for  41  years,  And  our  Prior  Ripirian  Rights  was 
there  Before  Reclamation  Service  Came.  Indians  used  this  3\imcoe  Creek 
Water  for  41  years  now,  We  want  you  to  Protect  our  Rights.  We  are  shamed 
to  see  this  Reclamation  Let  our  crops  go  to  hell,  what  kind  of  people  are 
these  Reclamation  Service  where  do  they  come  from,  they  are  all  to  crush 
us  down  and  what  can  we  do  to  save  our  crops,  we  are  trying  our  best  to 
do  what  is  right,  Our  Great  Father  of  Washington  D.  C.  want  to  see  us  be 
a  farmers  that  is  us  Injuns  but  not  to  take  away  our  water  with  which  we 
been  Irregating  our  lands  for  41  years,  and  where  ever  the  Reclamation  Ser 
vice  constructed  the  Ditches  at  their  own  funds,  and  we  do  not  kick  about 
it  we  are  willing  to  pay  the  assessments  to  the  water  charges  but  here  we 
hate  to  bring  an  Injunction  Suit  to  the  Reclamation  Service.  I  want  you 
to  see  and  to  protect  our  rights,  You  do  not  want  to  see  me  and  my  neigh 
bors  be  loosing  our  crops,  Because  the  Reclamation  Service  are  the  only 
persons  to  live  on  this  Earth  they  are  hungry  after  the  Dollars  and  their 
hunger  is  not  filled.  We  do  bitterly  here  Protest  and  Oppose  to  see  our 
ditch  be  Grabbed  away,  and  let  us  go  to  hell  and  of  course  where  the 
reclamation  service  build  their  own  ditches,  and  it  is  their  own  sole  rights 
to  collect  the  assesment  from  the  Lands  watered,  but  not  on  this  Ditch 
which  we  have  been  useing  for  41  years  can  you  do  any  Assistance?  I  am 
feejling  very  bad  I  hate  to  loose  my  hard  labor  and  seed,  I  want  you  to  stop 
Interferreing  Our  rights  let  the  Reclamation  Service  leave  us  all  alone. 

Slincerey  your  friend 

LOUIS  MANN, 

Simon  Goudy,  Georgre  Simon,  Shepherd  Peter,  and  Guy  Howard  took 
Uiis  letter  to  Mr.  Carr. 


L.  M.  Holt,  Yakima,  Wash.,  July  16,  1920. 

Reclamation  Service,  Yakima,  Wash. 

Dear  Sir: 


I  have  received  a  notice  (bill  for  money  due)  No.  1762  Wy2  SW1^  and  SB 
%  SIW^4  and  SW%  SE1^  35-11-17  and  I  was  investigating  the  number  of  my 
allotments  and  I  have  found.  Well  my  friend  now  my  mistake  (understand 
ing)  is  this  way.  I  am  water  user  on  this  Piute  Ditch  for  41  solid  years  be 
fore  you  ennter  your  water  into  this  ditch  without  my  consent  and  your  ditch 
tenders  bother  ma  from  my  own  water,  and  I  am  wondering  who  must  be 
too  damn  white  on  your  office,  and  he  do  not  understand  what  is  on  this 
earth  Prior  Ripirain  Rights  to  water.  I  am  a  man  want  to  do  what  is 
right,  I  am  not  waiting  to  beat  some  one  in  my  ranching  business.  That 
Mr.  Holt  you  consider  my  talking  to  you  in  this  writing  I  am  not  crazy  when 
1  am  writing  this  to  you  today.  I  want  to  know  who  did  put  this  assessment 
to  me  and  charging  me  $80.00.  That  ditch  was  constructed  before  the  first 
allotment  was  made  to  the  Indians,  and  am  I  mistaken  in  my  mind  to  be  a 
man  holder  of  that  water  as  a  man  to  have  a  Prior  Ripirian  Rights  to  my 
water  on  these  two  allotments,  which  your  employees  has  a  charge  to  me. 
Do  you  think  you  will  make  me  to  pay  you  for  my  own  water?  Do  you  think 
you  have  a  right  to  grabble  my  Prior  Ripirian  Rights?  Now  here  is  the 
question,  is  your  power  right  to  crush  me  down  as  you  see  fit?  I  do  not 
want  to  be  too  damn  smart,  I  know  where  you  build  or  constructed  ditches 
with  e-overnment  funds,  you  have  sole  rights  to  put  the  assessment  charges 
to  lands  and  I  am  willing  to  pay,  but  where  I  am  using  this  water  for  41 


THE    DISCARDS  _  _____  _  Page    Fourteen 

years  do  not  think  you  have  founded  the   Indian  ditch  that   is  owned  by  the 

dead    In.i  ">k  out    man:      Tin-   earth    and   wat.T   are    nil    inn"    here   but 

i  an.  nut  all  time  here,  Like  m>   little  BOD  which  you  have  seep  time  yoi 

,,,  n,v   hon-e      The  little  hoy  was  buried  jresterdaj    at   1  o'clock  1'.  M.  and 

to  die.  and  w»-  of  course  every  one  of  us  want   is  money. 
let    us  see  where  we   are  at,  some  times  yet    I   will   call  to  your  office 


Q   town.   Well   th«-  «-arth    and   water   before    I    was   horn,    and    next 
;.  Hamation   Service  came.     Do  not  be  too  white  and  too 

Damn   Smart  '    RrcoiMii/r   my    being   fir>t    water    use!'   along    thifl    Piute    Ditch. 

When   .James   H.   Wilbur  being  Agent  and  when   he  left  he  was   shaking  my 

hands    and    he    was   talking   to   me   good   bye   and    lie   told    me    at    that    time 

"take   care   tin-    Ditch    it    is   yours    my    boy.    !„•    said   to    me   this    that    Ditch 

built    for   the    Piutes.    but    the   Piutes   ran    away,   and    now    is    \ours,    thai 

water   will    uive  you    money   and  support    for  your   living."   and   so   from  that 

,jm.  thai    Ditch    and   water,   and    do   you    rather   let    us   have   the    liti- 

lon  of  the  Injunction  Suit?     I  am  no  Renter  of  them  two  Allotment.-. 

.    the  owner  of  the    land   and  the  water   for    11    years,      i    am    not    writing 

foolish   talk.     I   mean    business,    i    am  of  course  a   Red  man   and  by   being 

.1  the  Rest  have  and  I  will  die  same.     No  difference  I   am  talk- 

about   my    Rights. 

Very  truly  your  friend. 

LOUIS   MANN,   K.  4,  Box  233. 


Yakima,  Wash.,  July  22, 

McWhorter  My  white  Brother:   I  am  not  feeling  good  yet.     I  can 
not    forget    my   Deaiv-t    Child   in   my  poor  Family,  one  that   wa>    loved  by   all 
in  my  family,  and  it   will  take  some  time  to  get  over  this  Lamentation- 
tiie   loss   of   the    beloved   Dearest    Son.      I    know   that    I    am    to    Die   yet    n. 
but   I   cannot   help  this   my   dearest  white  brother.     We   all  of  course  have 
to  Die  on  this  Earth,   and   if  honest  on  this  earth  we  may  meet  our  loved 
one  gone  before  us.     well  brother  I  was  over  to  see  F.  J.  MAPES  to  my  old 
ranch    yesterday,    and    I    have    seen    my    Irregation   water   none   on    my 

and  i  am  wondering  could  any  man  on  this  face  of  the  Earth  Irregate 
80.  acres  with  one  inch  by  18  inches  of  water,  now  they  h  me  Dirt- 

Prick  them  Reclamation  Stervice  outfit.  I  Dont  give  A  Damn  who  ever 
is  in  this  Service  all  of  course  they  come  from  the  old  world  where  white 
people  ar"  Starving  this  is  my  understanding  from  the  papers  I  read.  Now 
If  I  was  Sleeping  Indian  I  would  I»ose  all  my  crops  over  there  all  of  it, 
but  as  m\  .Neighbors  carry  water  through  my  Premises  and  if  my  hired 
man  maybe  to  steal  water  this  our  own  water,  and  this  awful  shame  way 
of  useing  Reclamation  Service  Tricks,  To  CIV1L1ZK  me.  Oh  What  A  white 
mans  Rulings.  Very  soon  he  will  run  ue  Down,  and  what  is  the  Right  way 
to  bringing  me  to  Cit  i/.eiiship?  learn  me  Fir<t  To  seal?  which  I  never  like 
it  in  my  life,  well  brother  No  man  con  Civilize  me  this  way.  bad  whites 

•  mbined  to  run  Down  Indians  like  a  Wolf  Runs  Down  deer  when  wolf  is 
awful  hungry.  I  have  been  Studying  these  things,  and  one  of  my  Neigh 
bor  crops  went  to  hell  there  adjoining  my  place,  that  is  Mr  GUY  HOWARD 
lie  is  an  Injun  man.  I  wish  you  would  make  a  trip  with  me  there  and  see 
that  C.rv  HOWARDS  Qrops,  and  have  it  taken  a  Picture,  what  a  Damn 

piece    of    the    work    the    Reclamation    Service    done    with    this    Injun, 
,  <•    mans   crops    because    no    money    in    advance,   while   the   Reel, 

tion  Committed    a    crime  enter  their   water    into   our   Ditch    without 

our   Consent.     I'iute   Ditch    was   build   with    Indian    money    for   the   Piute   In 
dians    who    were   brought    here   from   Malhiuer    from   Oregon    by    the    Agent 
JAMKS    H.    WILliUK.   and    with    help   by   some  of  our   Yakima    Indians   with 
i'l  \\ai:on>.      I    have  forgotten   now.  may   be  old  man   Peter  Klickitat 

in  that  trip,  well  brother  may  be  to  Damn  white  Rullers  in  this  Re 
clamation  Service,  and  to  Dirty  heart  Tricks  with  this  Service,  this  Govern, 
nient  i>  Poli.-hed  with  Black  when  Such  Water  I»rds  are  in  this  Service, 
now  brother  if  you  had  time  to  go  with  me  over  this  coming  Sunday,  yon 
would  come  to  my  place  in  the  first  car  that  comes  out  in  the  morning,  and 
we  would  start  out  from  my  place  with  a  hack  drive  over  there  and  back 
in  the  evening. 

T  am  yours  very  Truly  Brother 

LOUIS  MANN, 


HUM  ISHTJMA — "Morning  Dove"  of  the  Okanogans 


Author  of   COGHWEA,    an   Unpublished   Manuscript   Romance  of  the;  Great 

Montana  Cattle  Range 

Photo  and  Copyright  by  J.  W.  Langdon,  1915 


THE    DISCARDS          Page     Sixteen 

Moulin'  AYoli':  "What  is  this  'Lo  Business'  engaged  in  by  Recbe-  Brown 
of  the  Forked  Tongue?  he  whose  'medicine'  started  with  a  sudden  blaze; 
he  who  can  rob  the  'Nation's  Wards'  without  hinderance;  he  who  takes 
from  the  widow  and  orphan  their  last  wampum  bead,  their  last  bite  of  grub; 
he  who  clouds  the  head  of  the  Injun  with  fire  water  and  then  steals  his 
only  blanket  and  shirt,  leaving  him  naked  before  his  tribe. 

"Who  is  this  Miller  of  the  Wampum  Lodge?  this  Miller  who  grinds  the 
ignorant  Injun  instead  of  grain  for  bread;  he  who  once  tallied  at  the 
Agency  but  now  counts  wampum  for  a  Banker  of  his  own  kind. 

"Who  is  this  Ain't  Worthy,  the  Oily?  he  who  sells  his  chu-chu  wagon, 
Double  Price  to  the  foolish  Yakimas.  Who  are  these  men  without  shame 
or  honor?" 


<iro\vliir  Hear:  "This  Lo(est)  Business  engaged  in  by  he  of  the  Forked 
Tongue  and  he  of  the  Wampum  Lodge,  is  cheatin'  the  Injun,  stealin'  his 
land  and  water.  They  are  the  Lal-a-\vUh:  the  wolves  tearin'  and  rendin', 
robbin'  and  thievin'  despoilin'  unhindered  alike  the  ignorant,  drunken 
brave  and  the  toil-worn  widow,  takin'  the  last  piece  of  jerk  from  the  or 
phaned  pappoose.  Want  and  misery!  hunger  and  nakedness  stalks  the  trail 
of  their  making. 

"Ain't-Worth-a-Dam,  the  Oily,  is  a  coyote  from  the  trap-pen  sneakin' 
in  the  wake  of  Forked  Tongue  and  Grindin'  Miller,  watchin'  their  signalin' 
to  jump  the  last  bone  left  their  victim  Lo. 

"How  this  done?  Growlin'  Bear  don't  know;  Injun  don't  know.  Maybe 
Injun  Bureau  know,  Maybe  Agency  know!  Maybe  Deacon  Lawyer  the 
Dirty  of  Yakima  can  tell.  Blind  talk-wire  from  Washington,  D.  C.-  Yak- 
ima — Toppenish — everywhere.  Christian  Shooyahpo  too  crooked-smart  for 
Pagan  Injun.  Ugh!  the  smell  is  bad. 


A  certain  Deacon  Attorney  who  is  making  it  possible  for  an  unscrupu 
lous  sales  agent  to  collect  from  the  ignorant,  childish  minded  Yakimas  the 
robber  commission  of  $500  above  the  regular  set  price  of  an  automobile, 
should  have  been  a  chemist.  He  is  such  a  good  "mixer;"  prayin'  and 
thievin',  thievin'  and  prayin';  stirrin'  all  in  the  same  bowl.  Thankful  to 
Providence  for  providin'  this  easy  channel  of  wealth  wherein  the  shekels 
may  be  garnered,  this  forked  tongued  double  talented  Deacon,  who  like  a 
buckwheat  grain  presents  a  face  from  whatever  angle  viewed,  pays  to  the 
Lord  a  regular  tithe.  Doubtless  this  is  perfectly  legitimate  and  right,  else 
it  wou'ld  not  be  tolerated  by  the  Church,  but  it  occurs  to  some  of  the 
worldly  minded  that  it  is  not  accordin'  to  the  traditnonal  narrow  and 
straight  path.  "Growlin'  Bear"  is  of  the  opinion  that  if  the  white  man's 
God  is  partner  to  such  a  deal,  He  had  better  keep  His  own  books  and  be  on 
the  lookout  in  the  final  roundun,  or  the  Deacon  Lawyer  will  sure  "slick  ear" 
on  Him.  But  then  "Growlin'  Bear,"  primitive  and  uneducated,  still  sticks 
to  his  breech  clout  and  moccasins.  He  is  not  supposed  to  understand  the 
higher  civilization.  What  is  an  Injun  for  if  not  to  be  skinned  by  the  "su 
perior"  race? 


Last  winter  three  young  girls    deserted    from     the    Yakima    Agency 
school.    Two  of  them  reached  home,  the  other  one,  whose  parents  resided 


Page     Seventeen THE    DISCARDS 

in  a  distant  part  of  the  Reservation,  died  near  White  Swan  from  cold  and 
exposure.  No  adequate  attempt,  it  is  alleged,  was  made  by  the  Agency 
to  locate  the  runaways,  and  the  parents  of  the  missing  child  supposed  her 
to  be  at  the  school.  Two  weeks  later  her  body  was  found  with  eyes  picked 
out  by  the  magpies.  Was  there  an  investigation? — an  inquest?  If  so  who 
ever  heard  of  it?  The  story  leaked  out  through  Indian  channels  alone. 
Indian  Agency  effiency  and  care!  Indian  Bureauism!  One  dead  Injun 
child  and  the  carrion  birds  the  fatter  for  their  feast. 


If  the  "incompetent"  Indian  has  it  tough  in  this  life  where  he  is  so 
well  cared  (?)  ft>r  by  the  Bureau,  can  his  condition  be  imagined  in  the 
Happy  Beyond? — a  'land  void  of  both  Injun  Agents  and  fleas. 


An  interesting,  though  pathetic  scene  was  enacted  in  the  Superior 
Court  in  Yakima  recently.  Sahpamequick  Twatentush,  a  young  Indian  was 
on  trial  for  his  life  for  killing  Sheowit  a  "bad"  medicine  man  who  had  cast 
a  death  spell  over  his  infant  boy.  Advised  by  two  medicine  women,  who 
had  been  summoned  to  treat  the  child,  that  they  could  render  no  aid  unless 
the  man  remove  his  evil  spell,  the  distressed  father  rode  twenty  miles 
horseback  to  entreat  Sheowit  to  come  to  the  rescue.  The  medicine  man 
refused,  and  according  to  the  testimony  of  an  eye  witness,  and  that  of 
the  accused  himself,  he  mocked  at  the  sorrow  of  the  father,  stating  that  he 
had  sent  an  evil  spirit  into  his  child's  body  and  that  it  would  die.  He  an 
grily  exclaimed:  "I  am  a  strong  man!  I  want  to  kill  somebody  all  the 
time!  I  have  killed  your  child  and  I  will  kill  you!"  With  this  he  drew  a 
hatchet  from  beneath  his  blanket  and  made  an  attempt  to  strike  the  young 
man;  who  dodged  and  backed  away.  The  enraged  medicine  man  followed 
him,  striking  once  or  twice  with  the  hatchet.  It  was  then  that  the  Indian 
drew  his  pistol  and  killed  his  assailant.  The  medicine  man  was  of  bad  re 
pute,  having  killed  two  or  more  men.  For  one  of  the  crimes  he  had  served 
a  term  in  the  penitentiary.  During  the  trial,  many  interesting  points  con 
cerning  the  philosophy  of  the  Yakimas  were  brought  to  light.  It  is  need 
less  to  say  that  the  sympathy  of  the  public  was  with  the  defendant,  who  sat 
stoical  during  the  trial  in  full  tribal  costume.  It  took  the  jury  but  ten 
minutes  to  bring  in  a  verdict  of  not  guilty.  Barring  self  defense,  the 
young  man  in  taking  the  life  of  Sheowit,  had  but  followed  an  ancient  law 
of  his  tribe.  It  was  suggested,  by  one  who  attended  the  trial,  that  it  might 
serve  a  good  purpose  could  this,  unwritten  Yakima  tamanwit  be  enforced 
against  some  of  the  quack  M.  D.s  among  the  whites. 


As  a  side  light  on  the  prevailing  belief  in  the  powers  of  the  medicine 
man,  the  following  communication  is  given. 

Mr.  L.  V.  McWhorter,  July  10,  1920. 

My  White  Brother: 

In  God's  will  I  was  to  live  on  this  earth  for  a  short  time  and  I  am 
about  to  lose  my  nice  little  son,  Senator  Leo.  He  is  having  awful  time  talk 
ing,  repeating  the  words  of  the  Indian  Doctors  and  this  matter  nearly  set 
me  crazy,  and  if  it  was  not  for  my  religion  I  would  take  my  gun  and  kill 
the  bad  Indian  Doctors,  but  my  Great  God  'is  on  my  side  and  he  shall  save 
my  little  boy's  soul,  but  of  course,  the  body  will  be  buried  to  rot  and  decay 
and  that  my  religion  tell  me  this:  Thou  shall  not  kill,  and  I  tried  my  best 
to  save  him,  but  white  man  doctor  can  not  cure  the  boy  because  the  boy  had 
Indian  doctor  sick  to  which  white  man  has  no  beief,  but  this  is  true  as  you 


THE    DISCARDS Page    Eighteen 

understand  Indian  ways.     <)],!  Man  T<-m  is  a  bad  one.     He  killed  my  mother- 
in-law   and  om    little  child   for  m«-.      I   can  not  do  no  further  to  reach  a  cure 
for    my    lifth-   drar    BOO.     I    had   Priest   there   yt-strrdsiy    nixing   tin-    littN-   boy 
unctions   so  th»-   hoy   will   die  holy.     Th<-   Indian   doctors 
rivht  and  l«-ft  this  day.     'i  lie  and  I  do  not  know  how 

IOIIK  th"  lift  Ir  son  li\v  and  lie  will  ^o.     He  get  some  times  unconscious  and 
this   is  all   my   brother. 

The  sick  chHd  died  four  clays  later. 


The  rmvr  of  Shake rNm  on  the  Yakima  Reservation  is  well  illustrated 
in  the  following.  A  young  married  woman  stricken  in  confinement,  was, 
for  thro-  md  ni'jrhts  "doctored"  by  one  of  the  "priests",  or  "preach 

ers"  by  noisy  incantations  and  ringing1  of  bells,  assisted  by  many  "helpers". 
At  the  end  of  that  period  the  poor  sufferer  was  released  by  death.  Think 
of  this  and  lend  your  moral  and  financial  aid  to  the  Mission  now  being  es 
tablished  at  White  Swan. 


The  Tepee  Association  is  a  body  of  its  own,  entirely  distinct  and  separate 
from  the  Minion  beine*  established  on  the  Yakima  Reservation.  The 
Tepee  will  work  in  unison  with  the  Mission  and  kindred  organizations  for 
the  uplift  of  the  Indian  and  for  a  more  liberal  recognition  of  his  rights. 
Not  only  must  the  coming  Indian  be  prepared  by  education  for  a  higher 
plane  in  life,  but  the  pub'ic  must  also  be  enlightened  to  his  needs  and  to 
the  fact  that  the  Indian  can  never  be  a  man  until  delivered  from  the  un 
reasonable  trammel  ings  of  the  Indian  Bureau.  That  body  must  be  re 
formed  or  dethrone 

NOTE — WiM  the  Tepee  return  to  its  original  declared  principal  of  bat 
tling  for  a  better  recognition  of  the  rights  of  its  people?;  or  is  it  to  follow 
the  less  rugged  trail  of  mediocre  so  recently  determined  on?  The  true 
warrior  never  shows  his  heels  at  the  first  sound  of  the  enemy  guns. 


The  Tipi  Order  of  America  opened  a  new  Council  in  Tacoma  (Tahoma) 
during  the  Planting  Moon.  It  started  with  30  charter  members,  many  of 
them  identified  with  the  I.  0.  R.  M. 


"LET  MY  PEOPLE  GO!"     Wassaja. 


The  Yakima  Council  of  Tipi  Order  is  planning  for  a  big  pow-wow  and 
shoot.  Buffalo  Ben  is  Chief  of  the  Council's  Gun-warriors,  and  has  scored 
some  high  marks  in  clay  pigeon  shooting.  From  a  humane  point  of  view, 
it  is  regretable  that  the  clay  bird  is  not  substituted  for  the  liviing  victim 
in  all  sports. 


What  is  the  TIPI  ORDER  OF  AMERICA? 


The  American  Commercial  Bank  of  Wapato,  Wash.,  is  a  red  hot  nail  in 
the  oft  repeated  assertion  that  the  Indian  is  void  of  business  qualities. 


Page     Nineteen THE    DISC  ARDS 

Humane  work  for  the  first  time  in  history,  has  reached  the  Yakimas 
through  the  efforts  of  the  Yakima  County  Humane  Society.  Recently 
two  of  its  officers  attended  a  round-up  of  wild  range  horses  at  the  "Ten 
Cent  Corral"  near  the  Agency  where  they  found  some  of  the  animals 
being  "broke"  by  the  usual  method  of  keeping  them  tethered  for  three 
or  four  days  without  food  or  water.  It  was  explained  to  the  Indians 
that  this  could  not  be  allowed,  that  under  no  circumstances  must  an  ani 
mal  be  so  confined  for  more  than  24  hours.  With  but  one  or  two  excep 
tions  the  warning  was  received  kindly,  many  of  the  Indians  expressing 
their  approbation.  The  brutality  of  the  branding  corral,  where  the  young 
colts  are  trampled  and  maimed,  oftimes  killed  outroight,  was  ailso  super 
vised.  This  part  of  the  work  fell  to  Mr.  Simon  Goudy,  a  half-blood  Vol 
unteer  Officer.  Here  there  was  some  friction,  and  it  is  said,  a  deelgation 
of  Indians  laid  complaint  before  their  Superintendent,  with  what  resutl  is 
not  known  further  than  that  the  Humane  Society  received  no  official  no 
tice  of  action  by  the  Agency.  Later,  in  reply  to  a  communication  from  the 
society  setting  forth  its  desire  to  promote  humane  education  among  the 
Yakimas,  Supt.  Carr  expressed  his  unqualified  approval  and  pledged  to 
lend  his  support  to  the  movement  within  the  resources  at  his  command. 
Thus  the  way  is  paved  and  if  properly  handled,  many  of  the  ghastly  fea 
tures  of  the  Yakima  roundup  will  be  eliminated. 


The  Yakima  Humane  Society  has  in  its  ranks  two  Indian  Volunteer  Of 
ficers  helping  to  enforce  humane  laws  on  the  Yakima  Reservation,  and  in 
structing  their  people  in  the  wrays  of  kindness  to  animals.  The  first  of 
their  race  to  enter  this  field  in  the  northwest,  their  action  is  bound  to  have 
a  salutary  influence  among  their  own  tribesmen.  Look  elsewhere  for  the 
"savage"  than  the  Yakima. 


Mrs.  Jennie  R.  Nichols,  of  Tacoma,  Wash.,  Field  Worker  of  the  Amer 
ican  Humane  Society,  attended  the  National  Parent-Teachers'  Association 
at  Madison,  Wisconsin,  during  Rose  Moon.  The  result  of  Mrs.  Nichols'  ten 
days  effort  with  that  body  may  be  summerized  thus:  A  speech  before  the 
Assembly  which  aroused  intense  interest.  Getting  through  a  resolution 
placing  this  great  body  of  100,000  educators  solidly  back  of  humane  educa 
tion.  A  Board  of  Managers  in  this  Department  of  Education,  Mrs.  Nichols, 
chairman.  The  newly  elected  President  of  the  Association  pledged  her 
support  of  this  new  Departure,  realizing  that  such  education  means  the 
elimination  of  much  crime  and  all  around  better  citizenship.  Mrs.  Nichols 
accreditation  as  the  most  active  field  humane  worker  in  the  United  States 
is  borne  out  by  the  success  of  her  indefatigable  efforts  at  the  great  Madi 
son  Convention,  was  'loyally  supported  by  Mrs.  C.  A.  Varney,  President  of 
the  Washington  State  Parent-Teachers'  Association. 

Since  Indian  children  are  more  in  attendance  at  our  public  schools  each 
succeeding  year,  this  new  feature  of  humane  education  is  bound  to  have 
telling  effect  on  the  minds  of  the  youth  of  the  First  Americans. 


Out  on  a  rock  crowned  desert  mountain  in  the  Okanogan  country,  far 
from  water  lies  the  shriveled  form  of  a  coyote  with  one  foot  ciamped  in 
the  rusted  jaws  of  a  Government  trap.  The  chain,  with  its  triple  flukes 
anchored  to  a  sage  brush,  is  taut  and  twisted,  attesting  the  awful  struggl- 


THE    DISCARDS Page    Twenty 

ings  of  the  animal  before  death  came  to  its  reelase.  Trapped  in  mid-sum 
mer,  the  agony  of  that  coyote  can  not  be  imagined,  as  day  after  day  passed 
with  the  scorching  rays  of  a  hell-sizzling  sun  beating  down  upon  it.  Obvi 
ously  a  war  of  extermination  against  certain  predatory  anima'ls  is  justifi 
able,  but  there  is  nothing  more  brutal  than  the  modern  methods  of  trap 
ping.  Notwithstanding,  we  have  the  amazing  spectacle  of  Dr.  William  T. 
Hornaday,  naturalist,  advocating  that  this  brutalizing  pursuit  be  taken  up 
by  the  Boy  Scouts.;  and  the  suggestion  is  sanctioned  by  the  executive  board 
of  that  fine  organization.  God  created  man  and  all  kinds  of  animal  life, 
but  he  did  not  create  the  steel  trap. 


The  catch  of  salmon  at  Top-tut,  now  known  as  Prosser,  on  the  Yakima 
river  this  year  was  unusually  heavy.  Under  the  Treaty  of  1855,  it  would 
appear  that  the  right  to  take  fish  at  this,  their  ancient  fishing  grounds,  is 
assured  the  Indians,  but  a  State  law  interferes  and  the  authorities  tacitly 
permitted  the  Yakimas  a  certain  number  of  days  in  which  to  catch  and  cure 
a  winter's  supply  of  this,  their  favorite  food.  The  fish  is  both  dried  and 
salted.  It  is  hoped  that  the  next  legislature  will  restore  to  the  Yakimas 
their  right  to  fish  at  Top-tut,  built  especially  for  them  in  the  beginning 
by  Speelyi. 

The  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  meeting  in  convention  at 
Wenatchee,  Wash.,  June  1920,  unanimously  passed  resolutions  requesting 
the  coming  legislature  to  enact  some  measure  which  will  permit  the  Yak 
imas  to  take  fish  hereafter  unmolested  at  Top-tut  during  the  salmon  season. 


Pursuant  to  a  recent  ordinance  passed  by  the  City  Commission  of  Yak 
ima,  no  dog  is  to  bark,  no  cow  to  moo  nor  rooster  to  crow  within  the  cor 
porate  limits  after  night  fall,  under  penalty  of  a  fine  not  to  exceed  $100 
with  possible  imprisonment.  The  next  sane  move  is  to  enact  a  tamanawit 
against  the  cooing  of  babies  and  the  early  carol  of  robin  red  breast.  The 
dulcet  yodel  of  the  torn  cat,  the  musical  purr  of  the  open  muffler  and  the 
rythmicai  chime  of  the  flat  car  wheel  is  symphony  plenty  a-nuff  for  the 
city  denizens. 


ONE  WAY  OF  LOOKING  AT  IT 

Help  on  the  Yakima  Reservation  has  been  extremely  scarce  during 
the  harvest  season  this  year  .  A  rancher  came  to  Wapato  and  entering  a 
pool  room  saw  two  young  Indians  taking  life  easy.  He  accosted  them, 
enquiring  if  they  wanted  work,  offering  them  substantial  wages  if  they 
would  help  him  a  few  days.  The  Indians  exchanged  glances  and  one  of 
them  spoke:  "No!  you  white  people  came  here,  we  did  not  want  you.  You 
made  all  this  work,  all  this  trouble.  You  can  do  the  work  yourselves;  it 
is  your  business." 


x  \<-  him*  dour  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  broth- 
ron.  >«•  h;m>  dour  it  unto  mo."  (Matthew  25-40.) 

But  Matthew,  like  James  was  only  writing  the  words  of  the  Master 
long  before  Columbus  discovered  America,  before  the  Injun  was  even 
thought  of,  maybe  invented. 


Page     Twenty-One THE    DISCARDS 

THE  SERPENT'S  SLIMY  TRAIL 

A  favorite  method  of  swindling  is  to  inveigle  the  Indian  into 
encumbering  an  allotment  with  a  mortgage  which  will  seldom  if  ever  be 
redeemed,  thus  obtaining  the  land  by  foreclosure.  The  following  gives  an 
inkling  to  this  mode  of  "stalking"  by  the  financial  gun-man. 

CENTRAL  BANK  OF  TOPPENISH 

Mrs.  Lucy  James  Toppenish,  Wash.,  July  2,  l.OUO. 

Harrah,  Wash. 
Dear  Madam: 

I  note  that  you  have  received  and  recorded  Patent  in  Fee  to  your  allot 
ment  in  section  27-11-18  near  Harrah,  and  in  this  connection,  wish  to  advise 
that  if  you  desire  to  either  borrow  money  on  the  property  or  sell  the  same, 
we  would  be  pleased  to  talk  with  you  at  any  time  it  is  convenient. 

We  are  in  a  position  to  place  suitable  farm  loans  for  three  or  five  years 
at  favorable  rates  of  interest  with  prompt  service. 
Awaiting  the  opportunity  of  serving  you,  I  am 

Sincerely  yours, 

H.  B.  MILLER,  Cashier. 

Mrs.  James'  deed  was  filed  for  record  June  29,  1920.  Her  "friend"  lost 
no  time  in  his  offer  of  financial  assistance  (?).  Nasty  intrigue.  Mr.  H.  M. 
Gilbert  is  President  of  the  Central  Bank  of  Toppenish. 


"Let  the  white  man  get  all  the  water  he  can  in  this  life,  for  he  is  going 
where  it  is  awfully  hot  and  dry." — Louis  Mann  in  The  Con  tinned  Crime 
Against  The  Yak i mas. 


"Water  is  Life.    Tahoma,  the  Big  White  Mountain!  the  source  of  water. 
When  I  die,  the  Earth  will  take  care  of  my  body." 

Chief  Slnskin,  the  Yakima. 


: 


WATCHMAX,  WHAT  OF  THE  NIGHT? 

Hon.  Cato  Sells  recently  visited  the  Yakima  Indian  Reservation  osten 
sibly  in  the  interest  of  the  Indian,  but  so  far  as  can  be  learned  no  Indian 
was  consulted,  no  tribesfan  invited  to  council,  none  permitted  to  air  their 
many  just  grievances.  None  knew  of  his  coming  and  but  few  learned  of 
his  going,  and  this,  through  a  few  friendly  whites.  Perhaps  the  Commis 
sioner  had  not  the  timet  o  devote  to  his  Red  Wards.  Banquets  with  offi 
cials  and  speculators  in  Indian  lands  could  not  be  foregone.  In  Toppenish 
a  few  of  the  Yakimas  were  informed  of  the  stranger's  personnel  as  he  and 
his  "escorts,"  or  "body  guard,"  as  one  observer  commented,  stepped  into 
the  Agency  car  and  was  whirled  away.  One  of  the  tribesmen  exclaimed: 

"What  does  this  mean?  Why  does  our  Commissioner  do  this  thing? 
I  thought  he  was  our  commissioner,  to  look  after  us.  What  is  he  here  for? 
What  is  he  doing?  I  know  some  of  those  men  with  him.  I  know  who  they 
are,  what  they  are  doing  to  the  Injuns.  We  want  to  tell  Mr.  Sells  some 
thing  about  how  we  are  treated,  how  we  are  robbed,  but  Mr.  Carr  keeps 
him  from  us.  Why  is  this?  What  is  wrong  with  Mr.  Sejlls..'" 

Let  Mr.  Cato  Sells  expJain  his  course  to  this  untutored  Yakima. 


THE    DISCARDS Page     Twenty-Two 

There  is  "something  rotten  in  Denmark"  when  an  Indian  who  has  a 
thousand  dollars  due  him  at  the  Agency  is  compelled  to  borrow  fifty  dollars 
with  which  to  purchase  grain  sacks  before  he  can  thrash  his  wheat  crop. 


"It  is  Hell  to  be  an  Injun!"  was  the  rueful  self  diagnosis  of  a  Yakima 
allottee  as  he  dejectedly  surveyed  his  torn  hog  fence  and  ruined  garden, 
ground  and  demolished  by  one  of  the  Government  dredges.  The  crew, 
finding  a  bridge  on  the  public  road  possibly  unsafe,  had,  without  consult 
ing  the  Indian  or  asking  his  permission,  opened  his  fence,  entered  his  prem 
ises  with  the  many  toned  machine,  passed  over  a  part  of  his  garden,  ob 
literating  it,  leaving  the  fence  broken  permitting  his  hogs  to  scatter  at 
large.  The  Indian  was  not  aware  of  this  occurrence  until  hours  afterwards 
when  he  found  his  hogs  wandering  on  the  highway.  When  the  dredge- 
crew  was  spoken  to  he  was  referred  to  the  Indian  Farmer.  When  this  of 
ficial  was  approached,  he  was  referred  to  the  Agency  Superintendent. 
Appealing  to  this  worthy,  he  was  informed  that  he  "knew  nothing  about 
it."  And  yet  it  is  expected  of  the  Indian  that  he  be  law  abiding,  show 
love  and  reverence  for  the  Flag  and  the  Government — to  lick  the  hand  that 
vivisects  him.  Surely  it  is  "Hell  to  be  an  Injun." 


THAT  SAWMILL 

The  Yakima  Indian  Reservation  has  timber  valued  at  more  than  three 
million  dollars,  and  yet  the  Yakimas  h^ve  no  way  of  making  domestic  or 
commercial  use  of  this  wealth.  Building  material  must  be  obtained  from 
local  dealers  at  high  cost.  The  saw  mill  built  by  the  Government  in  com 
pliance  with  treaty  stipulations,  burned  more  than  a  quarter  century  ago 
"under  very  suspicious  circumstances,"  so  the  Indians  dedare,  and  has 
never  been  replaced^  Under  date  of  April  26,  1909,  Mr.  C.  F.  Hauke,  Chief 
Clerk  of  the  Indian  Office,  in  answer  to  an  inquiry,  wrote  Louis  Mann: 
"The  sawmill  is  to  be  put  into  shape  for  operation  at  an  early  date."  No 
move  has  ever  been  made  to  redeem  that  "black  and  white"  promise.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  at  that  time  the  Department  was  over  anxious 
to  secure  Yakima  signatures  which  would  permit  the  looting  of  the  tribes 
men  to  the  tune  of  undetermined  millions.  The  signatures  were  not  forth 
coming  and  the  sawmill  promise  turned  out  to  be  another  Indiap.  Bureau 
fabrication. 


It  should  redound  to  the  credit  of  the  Yakima  Indians  who  refused  to 
accompany  the  Pack  Train  under  the  supervision  of  Head  Packer  Anderson, 
who  served  the  Mountaineer  Club  on  its  outing  in  the  Olympic  Mountains 
this  season.  Anderson  packed  for  the  C]ub  in  its  tour  of  Tahoma  last  year, 
with  three  or  four  Yakimas  and  their  horses.  The  Indians,  usually  consid 
ered  hard  horse  masters,  got  their  fill  of  Anderson's  mode  of  over-loading 
and  driving  the  long  stretches  of  steep  and  rugged  trail,  oftimes  occupying 
sevetneeri  hours  without  food  or  rest.  The  horses,  with  raw  and  sore 
backs;  staggered  under  stacks  of  dunnage,  leaving  the  trail  red  with  blood 
from  their  worn  and  unshod  feet.  The  personal  effects  of  preachers,  pro 
fessors  and  teachers  were  included  in  those  packs.  On  a  previous  outing 
of  the  Club,  Anderson's  packers  mutinied.  The  Mountaineers  are  winning 
an  unenviable  reputation  for  this  brutal  treatment  of  its  vearly  pack-train. 
What  is  the  Washington  State  Humane  Bureau  for  that  it  does  not  inter 
fere  with  this  lawless  disregard  of  the  humane  laws? 


